Biological warfare bridges East-West divide

THIS DIMINUTIVE beast is the US's latest contribution to rapprochement with China and the Soviet Union. Scientists at the US Department of Agriculture have interbred the American lady beetle, native to the US, with a foreign relative, the seven-spotted lady beetle. The scientists from the department will visit the two countries this summer to explore areas where this crossbreed and other natural predators might aid the battle against crop pests. The hybrid shown above feeds on aphids that suck sap from plants, causing them to weaken or die. Aphids attack crops from alfalfa and apples to roses and wheat.

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